Habitat for Humanity uses Open House series to answer questions and address concerns

Every Tuesday through February and March, a different Habitat home has been open to the public to view and representatives on hand to answer questions.

Michelle Heitmann, outreach coordinator for Habitat For Humanity, left, talks to prospective home buyer Tina Robinson, Ypsilanti, during an open house at a home that Habitat For Humanity renovated on Ferris Street in Ypsilanti, Tuesday evening, March 8th.

“We have several goals. One is to just educate the community where we’re renovating the houses about what things are happening in their neighborhood,” said Sarah Stanton, executive director of the Habitat of Humanity of Huron Valley.

This includes telling the neighbors about the kind of people who will be moving into their neighborhood and how the homes are sold.

“People think they’re free homes, and they’re really not,” said Vic Whipple, community relations manager of the ReStore. “We target families that are in the 30 to 60 percent area of median income, which is generally people working in a job where they make about $12 to $18 dollars an hour. Not enough to save up a down payment,” said Stanton. “Often our families pay an average of $600 to $800 dollars a month, which includes their taxes and insurance.”

Along with their mortgage, Habitat families have to attend financial management classes and each adult family member must put in 300 hours worth of “sweat equity” into the home.

“I often wonder how our families pull it off. They earned the house, and they’re really tied to it,” Stanton said.

The homes that are part of the series are renovated foreclosed homes, which may also prevent neighborhood blight.

“You can be really happy that a Habitat home’s coming into your neighborhood because, in general, we raise property values,” said Stanton.

Another goal of the series is to open up communication to potential Habitat families. “We need more families. We need to recruit families and start working with them” because of the guidelines that must be met, according to Stanton.

While the term “family” is used, Habitat for Humanity is a Fair Housing/Equal Opportunity organization. Anyone who meets Habitat’s guidelines is welcome.

Potential families also get to see what types of homes are available. The renovations are often extensive to make the houses energy efficient. Maytag donates appliances for the homes. The replaced appliances stock Habitat’s ReStore resale outlet on Aprill Drive off Jackson Road.

Currently, the organization is working on Washtenaw County’s 100th Habitat home. Located in Nancy Park, the home will be sponsored by Masco Cabinetry. A fundraiser and celebration of the 100 homes will be held on May 13 at the Morris Lawrence Building on Washtenaw Community College’s campus.

While the Open House series will wrap up at the end of March, Stanton said, they plan on scheduling more in the summer.

To learn more about Habitat for Humanity visit www.h4h.org or call 734-677-1558.